nuclear crisis. breaking news overnight. the possible breach of a reactor in japan raises the possibility of more severe radioactive contamination. fire and floods. high waters wreak havoc in california, while colorado fire crews battle wind-driven wildfires. and bracket busters. march madness lives up to its name. as the sweet 16 kicks off with name. as the sweet 16 kicks off with some major upsets. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. and thanks for joining us, i'm betty nguyen. this morning we are learning more about the extent of the damage at japan's fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant, and the news is not good.

japanese nuclear safety officials say the core of one of the reactors may have been breached. but it appears to be limited. now if that is true, uncontrolled quantities of radioactivity could have been released into the surrounding air and ground. the reactor in question is number 3. on march 14th, a powerful hydrogen explosion damaged the outer containment building. the reactor holds 170 tons of radioactive fuel in its core. work has been stopped at reactors 1 through 3 at the fukushima power plant. it's now been two weeks since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck japan's northeastern coast. hundreds of thousands remain in temporary shelters, and there are shortages of food and water. the official death toll has surged past 10,000, and another 17,000 are still missing. charlie d'agata is in northeastern japan. charlie, what's the latest where you are? >> well, betty, the best news is the arrival of fresh, clean drinking water.

comes from nearby villages, not from the area around the fukushima nuclear power plant. they are running low on food supplies. medical teams are on board, but considering what's happening to their village, they're going to need a lot of counseling, too. japanese soldiers deliver much-needed clean water to more than 1200 people taking refuge. their village was torn up and taken away by the tsunami. japanese police say the official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago has topped 10,000. with more than 17,000 listed as missing. "my house is near the ocean" she says, "the tsunami washed it away. my grandfather, my grandmother, and my dog are still missing." . she's among a quarter of a million people now living in shelters since the disaster. the number's gone down in the past two weeks. many survivors have left to live with family members. some elderly people who survived the initial disaster died in the

days after from the bitter cold or lack of medication. conditions have improved dramatically over the past few days. but although they have shelter and medical attention, food and water are still in short supply. the elderly made up more than a third of the village, and now make up a large proportion of survivors. medical teams on site make sure they receive the care they need. some survivors still hold out hope of finding lost loved ones. this is a notice board asking if anybody has any information about the missing. two weeks after the disaster struck, they're coming to terms with their future. their worried about where they're going to live, and where to begin rebuilding their lives. and they worry whether the radiation leaking from the nuclear power plant not far away has contaminated the water and soil for years to come. now, this shelter is a junior high school. it's about 200, 300 feet up from the port. the kids were in school when the tsunami struck. their parents, grandparents, were at homes and at work, down

below. betty? >> all right. charlie d'agata live from japan. charlie, thank you. now to libya. following days of negotiations, nato has agreed to take control of part of the military operation, but not all. susan mcginnis is in washington with details. good morning, susan. so, how exactly is this supposed to work? >> well, good morning, betty. the u.s. makes no quick exit from libya, as it had hoped. nato does take over the no-fly zone, but the u.s. remains firmly in charge of the brunt of the combat there. american warplanes will continue to fly strike missions over libya, for now. >> this operation has already saved many lives. but the danger is far from over. >> reporter: thursday, nato agreed to take over partial command from the u.s. the 28-nation alliance could begin enforcing the no-fly zone as early as this weekend. but american forces would still be involved in everything from surveillance to bombing specific targets. >> we will continue to apply the

pressure we can to compel them to stop killing their own people. >> reporter: coalition jets pounded the country for a sixth straight day thursday, hitting a military base, and a libyan plane that violated the no-fly zone. still, government forces continued their assault on rebels in the western city of misrata. hospitals there were inundated with victims. while natos aagreed to only a partial takeover, that could soon change. officials are expected to meet sunday to decide whether the alliance should broaden its role. >> in the days ahead, as nato assumes command and control responsibilities, the welfare of those civilians will be of paramount concern. >> reporter: next secretary, secretary of state hillary clinton will head to london to attend an international meeting on libya, and try to finalize military strategy against leader moammar gadhafi's regime. outside his compound in tripoli, thousands of his supporters remain defiant. they're acting as human shields, vowing to do whatever it takes to protect him.

now the white house wants nato to take full control soon. this is as the price tag on the mission keeps growing, and as complaints in congress keep coming in of a lack of a clear mission. they still say days and not weeks, betty. >> all right, susan mcginnis in washington for us. thank you, susan. elsewhere in north africa and the middle east governments are bracing for another wave of protests today. anti-government demonstrations are planned in syria, bahrain, yemen and jordan. in syria yesterday, thousands attended the funerals of some of the 37 protesters killed by police on wednesday. syrian president bashir al assad said he'd consider granting syrians greater freedom. he's ordered the release of jailed anti-government protesters. in yemen, protesters are demanding president ali abdullah saleh leave office immediately. he's refused, despite month-long anti-government demonstrations. the protesters are calling on leaders to draft a new constitution, and dissolve parliament.

and in jordan, hundreds of protesters, mostly students, gathered in the capital of ayman to demand the ouster of the prime minister and the establishment of wider public freedom. the group's leaders say they will not move an inch until their demands are met. in this country, more wet weather is expected in california today, where a powerful storm system is causing flooding, and knocking out power. the trouble is particularly bad in the hills surrounding san francisco. yesterday, a two-foot wave of water ran down the hills into the town of capitola and then the local river overflowed its banks. >> all of a sudden we saw the water fly down the road and in about seven minutes it came up to here. came underneath our walls, our back door. the whole place became part of the river. >> all that rain has caused mud and rock slides along the pacific coast highway.

the latest cut off a 40-mile stretch of the scenic highway. in colorado, the trouble is wildfires. high winds and dry grass fueled the flames. this fire about 35 miles southeast of denver started yesterday. a row of flames threatened a house and a barn before a helicopter dropped water on the fire. 8,500 residents were temporarily evacuated. >> my husband's like, well, when i get home from work. i'm like, if there's a house. you know, it's frightening to think about how it could end up. >> about 100 horses have been removed. no homes have been damaged so far. the fire was about 70% contained by this morning. the air traffic controller who was missing in action at reagan national airport admits he was asleep. and has been suspended. two passenger jets trying to land early wednesday morning were unable to reach the reagan national control tower. in the tower was a veteran controller, by himself. he says he was working his fourth overnight shift in a row and had a clean record. the faa has launched an investigation. >> there's a professional pilot

for more than 25 years i am outraged by this, and we have an investigation and we will get to the bottom of it. i want to know why this happened. >> the air traffic controller's union says one-person shifts are unsafe. just ahead on the "morning news," lottery fever, as mega millions hits a big money mark. plus, elizabeth taylor's parting wish, as she is laid to rest. you're watching the "cbs morning news." [ female announcer ] all you need for sensitive skin.

all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin,

or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. a solemn military burial at arlington national cemetery for the remains of 11 airmen killed in world war ii. the men were aboard a b-24 bomber that crashed into the south pacific in 1943. the plane was found in 1984 but not all the remains could be identified. the rest were buried together in two coffins. also laid to rest yesterday, film legend elizabeth taylor. a motorcade brought taylor's family and friends to a small, private ceremony at forest lawn cemetery, northeast of

hollywood. taylor, who died wednesday at age 79, was interred in the cemetery's great mausoleum. the service began 15 minutes later than scheduled. because taylor said she wanted to be late to her own funeral. on the "cbs moneywatch," l.l. bean takes a page from zappos. and a mega millions jackpot. ashley morrison is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning. >> good morning to you, betty. the asian markets are up this morning. tokyo's nikkei rose just over 1%, while hong kong's hang seng lifted a fraction, and oil is now just below $106 a barrel. today, wall street gets the very latest on the labor market, and another check on how much the economy is growing. on thursday, strong corporate earnings gave stocks a boost. the dow gained 84 points while the nasdaq tacked on 38. the recession wiped out a quarter of americans' wealth. according to the federal reserve the net worth of u.s. households, that's all assets minus debts, fell from an average of $125,000 in 2007 to

$96,000 by 2009. families living in the west took the biggest hit. fed chief ben bernanke is breaking a century's worth of tradition. the central bank announced on thursday that its chairman will begin holding press conferences after policy meetings. it's a historic shift for an institution known for its secrecy. the pressure has been building on the fed to be more transparent. the briefings will begin next month. l.l. bean is giving shoppers a big break. effective today, the retailer becomes the second to wave all shipping fees all the time. regardless of how much you spend. zappos.com was the first to offer the year-round no strings attached perks. l.l. bean says they've been toying with the idea for years, analysts believe it could push other retailers to do the same. and someone could get very, very rich tonight if they're very, very lucky. ticket buyers are lining up in 42 states for chances to win a

whopper mega millions jackpot. the big prize is now up to $312 million, and could be even more by tonight's drawing. so, betty, if i'm not here on monday, it's because i'm living large. >> because you're writing a check to me, right? you'll share your winnings, right? >> of course. >> folks you heard her right here. we're going to hold her to it. ashley morrison here in new york. thank you. congresswoman gabrielle giffords is recovering so rapidly from being shot in the head in january that her astronaut husband thinks she'll be able to attend next month's launch of the shuttle "endeavour." astronaut mark kelly will command that mission. appearing yesterday in houston, with other members of the crew, he spoke of giffords. >> she wants to attend. she's been looking forward to this for a long time. as nasa's -- one of nasa's biggest supporters in congress, you know, she was really looking forward to having the opportunity to be there. and i think there's a pretty good chance that's going to happen.

>> "endeavour" is scheduled for launch on its final flight on april 19th. straight ahead your friday morning weather. and in sports, march madness, as another number one seed gets sent home early. ome early. [scraping] [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting ingredient ever. castrol gtx exceeds the toughest new industry standard. don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering.

[ giggles ] hey, max. [ announcer ] you can help significantly extend your dog's healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime, can help extend his lovable antics up to 1.8 healthy years. long live your buddy. [ laughs ] oh, max. long live your dog. purina dog chow. double dog dare you to try better-tasting than ever purina dog chow. we know your dog will love it. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 45. miami, sunny, 84. chicago, mostly cloudy, 35 there. dallas, partly cloudy, 82. los angeles, some light rain, 62

degrees. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows scattered clouds over the plains and clear skies in the southeast. later today, more rain and snow for the hard-hit west coast. some severe storms expected in the southern plains, and cooler temperatures in the northeast. in sports, a night of huge upsets in the march madness sweet 16. the arizona wildcats mauled number one seed duke. derrick williams scored a career high 32 against the blue devils. the defending national champion duke was sent home early, losing to arizona 93-77. and another huge upset, the butler bulldogs took on fourth seed wisconsin, who, during one stretch missed 17 straight shots. 8th seed butler takes down another giant, beating the badgers 61-54. byu and florida slug it out in overtime. brigham young's scoring machine

popped in 32, but it was not enough. the gators steal the o.t. win with a backboard jarring slam. 83-74. and uconn is on the brink of another trip to the final four. the huskies walker scores 36 points, 22 in the second half, to lead his team over san diego state. number three uconn takes on the aztecs 74-67. and you can catch more action from the sweet 16 starting tonight at 7:00 eastern, right here on cbs. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and setting a legal precedent. a disabled mom's battle to see her children. parentheses have a place. but not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. heaven comes to earth. rich, creamy, thick dannon greek,

the most delicious yogurt imaginable. heaven on earth! discover dannon greek [scraping] [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting ingredient ever. castrol gtx exceeds the toughest new industry standard. don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. cleanup is just beginning around the bay area. a deluge of mud.. caught on tape, as it rushes through a santa cruz county town. the damage left to dozens of homes and businesses. plus.. trains brought to a halt. how landslides are crippling the commute into silicon valley.

and.. governor brown's massive cuts. the fee hikes in store for community college students. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at 4:30. "oh my god our street, your car!",,,, on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. light snow and rain is on the way for the midwest. high pressure is keeping the east coast in fair weather, and over on the west coast, storms are pounding the region with rain and snow.

here's another look at this morning's top stories. japanese officials say they suspect the core at one of those damaged nuclear reactors may have been breached. if so, the contamination to the environment may be more severe than originally suspected. and more rain is expected in california today, where days of heavy downpours have caused flooding and mudslides. in colorado, firefighters are battling wildfires that forced thousands to evacuate. a los angeles judge is pondering whether a paralyzed mother of triplets has the same right to regular visits as any healthy parent. the case could set a legal precedent for other disabled parents. sandra hughes reports. >> reporter: abby dorn was overjoyed as she prepared for marriage and a family. but when her triplets were born in 2006, horrific medical mistakes were made. and abby ended up a paraplegic, unable to speak.

now, her ex-husband dan, and her parents, are squaring off in court over abby's right to have the children visit her. abby now lives with her parents in south carolina. they say she blinks for communication. a long blink means yes, a short blink means no. when a reporter asked if she wanted to see her kids last year, she responded with a long, firm blink. in court, dan testified that the children are too young to spend long periods of time with the woman who can only lay motionless. this appears to be a landmark case. while the california supreme court has ruled disabled parents cannot be denied custody, this case is battling over visitation. >> we're requesting visitation three times a year. two weeks during the summer, a week over the winter holiday, and then a week during spring. so not a lot of time. >> reporter: in court, dan dorn's attorney told the judge that abby's parents will give the triplets false hope that their mother may recover. even if she doesn't, her parents say she deserves to have a relationship with her children. sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles.

this morning on "the early show," the latest on the japanese nuclear crisis. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." [ female announcer ] all you need for sensitive skin. all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. >> ( beeping ) ( beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free

with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. ,,,,,,,,

a new census bureau report shows how america's racial and ethnic makeup is changing. based on the 2010 census, the report shows that one out of six american adults, and one in four children, are now hispanic. in the past decade the overall u.s. population grew by 27 million, to 308 million. and hispanics account for more than half of that growth. nancy cordes has more. >> reporter: salt lake city's newest grocery store caters to a group that census figures show is growing even faster than expected. hispanics in utah grew by 78% in the past decade. they now make up 13% of the state's population. >> in the year 2000 i started

noticing. i started noticing church congregations increasing. i started noticing hispanic groups, nonprofits increasing. i started seeing a lot of soccer teams. >> reporter: in fact, the 2010 census shows hispanics contributed more than half the total population growth in 18 states. including kansas and nebraska, florida, and louisiana. and with the white birth rate declining, hispanic children in texas now make up 50% of all public school students. up from 40% a decade ago. >> the 2010 census is showing us that latinos have become a national population, no longer concentrated in the traditional gateway states. in fact i think the story of the 2010 census is the rise of the latino south. >> reporter: census figures show the south was also a magnet for african-americans moving out of northern cities like detroit and chicago. the black population in north carolina grew 18% over the past decade. georgia, 26%. florida, 28%.

>> these are new, younger blacks, who don't remember a lot of the bad stuff that went on in the south years ago, who don't remember being shut out of the suburbs. they want to have it all. they want to go where the jobs are. they want to go where the good houses are. >> "a" equals "b" -- >> reporter: the anderson family left detroit for suburban atlanta five years ago, when dialo's future at ford motor company looked uncertain. >> we both found jobs like the first week, the same week. like i got a job, and then he got a call and then he got a job. >> reporter: census figures from the city they left behind are so startling, detroit's mayor wants a recount. nearly 240,000 people moved away this past decade. a quarter of the city's population. just like hispanics, the asian population in this country grew by 43% over the past decade. they now make up nearly 5% of the u.s. population. nancy cordes, cbs news, washington. and coming up a little bit later on "the early show," the latest on the u.s. handing over

control of libya's no-fly zone to nato. plus friends and family say their final good-byes to screen legend elizabeth taylor. and nurse jackie, emmy winner edie falco talks about her hit hbo comedy, and her life after "the sopranos." that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching, everyone, i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. everyone, i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. ,,,,,,